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A manager with the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games is suing TO2015 chairman and former premier David Peterson for alleged sexual harassment and claims she was demoted for complaining about it.

In the statement of claim for the $10-million lawsuit filed in court Thursday, Ximena Morris, 34, alleges that Peterson inappropriately embraced her and made publicly humiliating comments about her appearance while at work events.

When she complained to human resources and senior officials, she alleges she was told to “let it roll off your back,” urged not to sue and was then demoted.

In an emailed statement, Peterson said he intends to file a counter-claim for defamation.

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“I’m surprised and outraged that Ms. Morris would endeavour to embarrass me and the 2015 Pan Am Games staff with this lawsuit. I deny the allegations, categorically, and look forward to confronting them in court,” Peterson said in the written statement Thursday.

“Her lawyer came to us two days ago, and today is trying to extort five million dollars from the Games with a series of wild and untrue allegations. We refuse to be blackmailed. We informed him of this today, and now he has gone to the press.”

In addition to Peterson, the lawsuit names the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games organizing committee, the Canadian Olympic Committee (a partner of the Games) and three members of the executive team at TO2015, including CEO Saad Rafi.

None of the allegations has been proven in court, and the defendants have not yet filed statements of defence outlining their version of events.

Neala Barton, TO2015 senior vice-president of communications said the organization had not been formally served with a statement of claim.

“We have only received a draft, which misrepresents how management at TO2015 handled Ms. Morris’ allegations,” the statement read.

“If necessary, TO2015 will defend itself in court.”

Organizers did not respond to requests for comment from Rafi and the other senior managers, saying only the organization had no further comment.

Morris declined to comment on Friday through her lawyer Rocco Achampong. Achampong said that his client is taking some “well-deserved time-off” and that they stand by the statement of claim.

Peterson, who was premier from 1985 to 1990, was instrumental in helping Toronto win the bid to host the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. He has served as chair of the TO2015 board since September 2013.

At Queen’s Park, where Premier Kathleen Wynne’s administration is in the midst of a three-year $41-million campaign to curb sexual violence and harassment, the matter was being taken seriously Friday.

“All Ontarians deserve to feel safe in their communities, workplaces, homes and schools. I understand TO2015 has already provided a statement. It would be inappropriate to comment further,” said Blane McPhail, press secretary to Tourism, Culture and Sport Minister Michael Coteau.

Morris alleges that Peterson had begun “suggestive and inappropriate commentary” about Morris’ appearance prior to Oct. 7, 2013 and this continued publicly during TO2015 related events.

(All the allegations in this story are from the statement of claim, which has not been proven in court).

In one instance on April 7, 2014, during a TO2015 event attended by Premier Kathleen Wynne, TO2015 board members and others, Peterson allegedly told Morris, “You look like a flamenco dancer, like you could just jump up on a table and start dancing.”

According to the claim, he allegedly made a similar comment to Morris in front of Rafi and others later that evening.

Morris reported Peterson’s comments to the senior vice-president of her department, Amir Remtulla, who set up a meeting with Rafi despite Morris’s concerns about escalating the matter to the chief executive level, the lawsuit claims.

At the meeting, Rafi allegedly told Morris in reference to Peterson: “a leopard never changes his spots,” the claim states.

Rafi also allegedly told Morris that she is responsible for her personal space and said “it’s going to happen again and again in your career… let it roll off your back.”

Morris claims that her meetings with the senior vice-president of human resources and TO2015 general counsel, Karen Hacker resulted in no action being taken to address the alleged harassment.

In one meeting Hacker allegedly told Morris, “Bad things happen in this world, we need to get over them, the Holocaust happened, we need to get over it.”

Morris alleges that following her complaints she was demoted repeatedly, moving from a managerial position managing 1,000 volunteers prior to her complaint, to a role that is effectively only clerical.

During her tenure with TO2015 she worked as the manager for external partnerships, manager for official languages and manager for talent services and scheduling for the opening and closing ceremonies. According to the statement of claim, her voice was frequently broadcast during the official ceremonies and she was unofficially referred to as “the voice of the Pan Am Games.”

She claims that due to the actions of Peterson and others, she suffers from anxiety, insomnia, trouble breathing, loss of trust in authority and damage to her reputation and self-esteem.

With files from Sarah-Joyce Battersby, Rob Benzie and The Canadian Press

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